Regular Season, Group B analysis

UnicajaIt comes off its best Euroleague season ever, but Unicaja wants even more in 2007-08. Head coach Sergio Scariolo is ready to lead Unicaja again, as players like Carlos Jimenez, Berni Rodriguez, Carlos Cabezas or newcomer Bojan Popovic hope to keep the club among the very best in European basketball. Unicaja made it to its first-ever Final Four last season, finishing third overall. Its talent, organization and fan base guarantee a bright future for the club.

Maccabi Elite Tel AvivMaccabi Elite comes off a troubled season in which the team missed the Euroleague Final Four for the first time since 2004 while having to wait for a last-second shot to defend its Israeli League title. Maccabi has quickly learnt from its mistakes and already inked marquee free agents such as Vonteego Cummings, Marcus Fizer, Terence Morris or David Bluthenthal, who is back in Tel Aviv. Head coach Oded Katash hopes to keep Maccabi in the very elite of European basketball.

Efes PilsenDespite knocking on a Final Four door harder than any other team in the competition, Efes Pilsen has not been able to reach it since 2000. Efes lost its second consecutive Turkish League final and missed the Euroleague Quarterfinal Playoffs, but it has moved well in the off-season market, landing Rashad Wright, Loren Woods and Aleksandar Rasic. Efes is as ready as it has been and enters yet another Euroleague season with one and only goal: reach the Final Four.

Aris TT BankAris TT Bank is back in the Euroleague for consecutive seasons for the first time since the early nineties, showing that the team is on way to reach another golden era. Aris is looking for a new coach and needs to rebuild its roster behind key returnees Terrell Castle and Mike Wilkinson. The team reached the Top 16 last season and with thousands of diehard fans creating an outstanding basketball atmosphere, few squads will beat Aris in Thessaloniki.

CibonaA classic Euroleague team is once again back in the competition, as perennial Croatian League champion Cibona hopes to bounce back from last year's results. Cibona missed the Top 16 last season in a last-minute situation, but still managed to stay as the Croatian king. As every summer, Cibona is ready to undergo severe roster changes and this time include looking for a new coach, but will stay competitive as it battles its way to return to the Euroleague Top 16.

Le MansLe Mans Sarthe Basket is ready to return to the Euroleague with new faces but the same fast-paced basketball style that made the team shine in the beginning of the 2005-06 season. Le Mans inked Antoine Diot, a worldwide top prospect, as well as center Sam Clancy and shooting guard Raviv Limonad, who comes off an outstanding season in Israeli basketball. Expect Le Mans to be an exciting young team not afraid of anyone in its second Euroleague season.

Lietuvos RytasLietuvos Rytas is back in the Euroleague and ready to show that its 2005-06 extraordinary results were not a coincidence. Rytas reached the Top 16 in 2005-06 and made it to the ULEB Cup final last season, enough to return to the Euroleague with renewed ambitions. Rytas landed do-it-all forward Chuck Eidson and playmaker Hollis Price to go along top returnees Roberts Stelmahers and Matt Nielsen. Always ambitious, Rytas is not afraid of anyone.

Armani Jeans MilanoArmani Jeans Milano returns to the competition with renewed ambition and a new coach in Zare Markovski. Milano kept Travis Watson and top prospect Danilo Gallinari, as well as inking do-it-all swingman Reece Gaines. Milano failed to reach the Top 16 in its last Euroleague appearance in 2005-06, but now is back with a tradition to follow. A four-time Euroleague winner, Milano last won the Euroleague title in 1988, exactly 20 years ago, and is ready to live up to the expectations.

Sunday, July 01, 2007
Euroleague.net
PrintPrint Send to a FriendSend to a Friend ShareShare

Special Features

Interviews
Vladimir Micov - Bennet Cantu
Bennet Cantu has been among the most pleasant surprises in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague this season. Despite... MORE
Blogs
Pietro Aradori - Montepaschi Siena
Hello again to all the Turkish Airlines Euroleague fans. I’d like to start off this time by talking about the last... MORE